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In a weak attempt to defend her department against criticism from the DA, the Minister of Women, Children and People with Disabilities, Lulu Xingwana, claimed at a media briefing yesterday that her department has clear spending priorities. She also claims that her department has never “had a party but we have commemorative events”.

The Department’s 2011/12 annual report paints a different picture. In the year under review:

• R4.5 million was spent on catering;
• R2.6 million on entertainment; and
• R18.8 million on travel and subsistence

These three expenses made up almost 20% of the department’s total spending.
This department has done nothing useful, besides throw lavish parties and fly to expensive conferences and seminars all around the world.

They have yet to prove that their activities have any practical outcome in the protection of vulnerable women, children and people with disabilities.

Minister Xingwana must consider the facts carefully before accusing the DA of having no “history” or “heritage”, because we do not see the need for such events.  

People are not served by events. They are served by actual concrete actions to improve their circumstances. People are served by solutions to their real-world problems.

Minister Xingwana’s department has failed to deal with the plight of the vulnerable people it is mandated to serve. It is time for her department to shut its doors.